No substitute for a doctor
Regarding “Changing nurse law needs grassroots help” (Point of View, Aug. 9): There are sound reasons for Oklahomans’ and the Oklahoma State Medical Association’s opposition to nurse practitioners’ initiatives to perform their roles without physician supervision. While physicians have enormous respect for nurse practitioners and other advanced practice registered nurses as a vital part of medical teams treating patients, their roles and training are clearly different. That difference can impact the quality and length of our citizens’ lives.
A poll of 500 registered voters conducted Feb. 14-17 by CHS and Associates found 57 percent of respondents oppose expanding the scope of practice for nurse practitioners, while just 36 percent support such a move. In important medical situations, they want a well-trained doctor to be the one overseeing the process and making a final diagnosis.
Physicians’ experience and approaches to the scientific nuances of medical care benefit the quality of patient care. Physicians completed medical school and extensive years of rigorous training in order to be competent to provide care and supervise the provision of that care. The number of years itself is typically double what nurse practitioners spend in training.
The OSMA is committed to decreasing opioid abuse. To do this, physicians — not others — must carefully evaluate the true need and treatment options for battling pain. More prescribers would only escalate an issue that is at the root of many of our state’s challenges.
Further, the geographic distribution of nurse practitioners in Oklahoma mirrors that of physicians, so unless many plan to move to rural areas, expanding their scope of practice would not remedy access to health care.
Health care access is not better in states where nurse practitioners practice independently. The OSMA will not support anything less than the highestquality medicine for all our citizens, including those in rural areas. There is no substitute for a physician when your health matters.